For the past few years I have been concerned about ethical shopping. I have always shopped at thrift stores, but have been more dedicated to clothes shopping second hand until I find companies who take steps to ensure that sweatshop workers are being paid and treated fairly.
Here is a series of short documentaries that will give you an idea of some of the conditions of sweatshops in Cambodia.
Sweatshop: What kind of life is this?
The fifth video in the series is the most powerful. During the first episodes the Norwegian students seem to think that the Cambodian workers are unique in that, "They are used to it." or "she has hips made of concrete" implying that sleeping on a concrete floor was comfortable for a Cambodian woman but not for them. I was just as touched to see the changed attitudes of the students as I was to see how hard the Cambodian workers are fighting for their right to a living wage. This realising that all people are "just like me" is a beautiful thing, no?
Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York touched on this here
in his speech at Harvard's business school.
My search now is to find out what else I can do. Shopping at thrift stores is fine, but sewing my own clothes is better. I have a few projects to work on for myself and I hope to share them as I find time to make them.
As I find ethical clothing companies that I would actually shop at, I will share them here.
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